Use Taskhold with Amp

What you get with Amp and Taskhold

• Amp claims a task as "Amp in <repo>" so other agents skip it.
• Steps, progress and its last message on the live board while the thread runs.
• Blocked questions you answer from the board; Amp reads them with taskhold_updates.

Connect Amp to Taskhold

1. Start the 7-day trial, open Settings > API keys and create a key for this machine. It starts with atd_sk_. One key per tool and machine lets you revoke each one on its own.
2. Export it in your shell profile: export TASKHOLD_API_KEY=atd_sk_...
3. Add the server to ~/.config/amp/settings.json and start a new thread.

{
  "amp.mcpServers": {
    "taskhold": {
      "url": "https://taskhold.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${TASKHOLD_API_KEY}" }
    }
  }
}

Tell Amp how to use the list

Amp reads AGENTS.md from the current directory up to your home folder, and always includes ~/.config/amp/AGENTS.md. Put the workflow in the repo's AGENTS.md, or in the global file to use it everywhere:

## Tasks (Taskhold)

The person and I share a task list through the taskhold MCP tools. They watch a live board while I work.
- Session start: taskhold_get_current, then taskhold_updates for replies. Nothing in progress? taskhold_list status:todo and take the highest priority.
- taskhold_start before working on a task (agent: "Amp in <repo>").
- More than a couple of steps: taskhold_plan, then taskhold_start and taskhold_complete each step.
- taskhold_progress at milestones (N of M, or a percent) with a short message. Every few minutes at most.
- Need a decision: taskhold_block with one specific question, then check taskhold_updates.
- Done: taskhold_complete with what changed and how I checked it.
- A TODO or bug I'm not fixing now: taskhold_create (or taskhold_create_from_todo with file and line).

One limit to know

A server added in the workspace file .amp/settings.json doesn't run until you approve it with amp mcp approve taskhold. Keep the Taskhold entry in your user settings instead: no approval step, and no chance of committing it.

What leaves your machine, and how to disconnect

Taskhold receives task titles, steps, progress messages, questions and summaries, whatever the agent or script sends. Taskhold never sends code or commands to your machine, and it doesn't read your repository.

To cut a tool off, open Settings > API keys and revoke its key. The next call fails with 401. Then remove the Taskhold entry from the tool's config so it stops trying.